By the time I was in 7th grade, I had a better understanding of physics than most of the people who tried to teach me. Like the time I found myself trying to explain Schrödinger’s Cat to one of my science teachers, who couldn’t grasp the concept that a kitty could be both alive and dead at the same time. Or what it was doing in the damn box in the first place.

Or trying to explain that quantum leap doesn’t mean a sudden dramatic change, as most people assume. But rather, it’s an infinitesimally small shift at the subatomic level; yet one that can result in a dramatic change over time.

Sort of like what’s happened over the last year in with bicycling in Los Angeles.*

All I know is that something has changed. And for once, it seems to be for the better.

Take City Hall, for instance.

A year ago, there was minimal support for cyclists in local government. At best, a council member might host a bike ride or two, or stage a two-wheeled press event on Bike to Work day. Current TranspoComm chair Bill Rosendahl seemed to be one of the first to take cycling issues seriously when he tried to host a community meeting to discuss the Mandeville case. And failed, due to the overwhelming anger on both sides.

Somehow, that quantum leap — or series of leaps — has resulted in a dramatically changed environment for cyclists in this city, especially in the last month or two.

The City Council has responded to the concerns of cyclists by proposing an anti-harassment ordinance, pushing for sharrows and a bike-sharing program, and demanding a real response from the city’s police department. Council President Eric Garcetti went so far as to offer his personal assurance that he’ll keep the anti-harassment ordinance moving forward.

For the first time I’m aware of, LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson also offered public support for bike safety and educating drivers about cycling. And Bikeways Coordinator Michelle Mowery assured listeners yesterday that much of the proposed Backbone Bikeway Network is already being incorporated into the revised bike plan, based on feedback from cyclists.

When I started this blog a couple years back, like a lot of other local cyclists, I didn’t have a lot of use for the County Bike Coalition.

As far as I was concerned, they were wasting their time on relatively trivial matters, and unwilling to take on the serious challenges that face cyclists in Los Angeles. Maybe I was wrong; maybe they were working on things that went under the radar. Or my radar, anyway.

Or maybe they’ve just seriously stepped up their game in the last year or so.

10 comments

Thanks guys, I appreciate that. But there are a lot of other people who do a lot more than I do — like Glenn Bailey, Joe Linton, Roadblock, Alex Thompson, Stephen and Enci Box, Jeremy Grant, Damien Newton, and Jen, Allison, Dorothy and Aurisha at the LACBC, just to name a few.

Those are the ones I’m in awe of. Me, I’m just a guy with a blog and too damn many opinions.

The LA bike movement is like a nation unto itself growing ever powerful with the Bike Working Group becoming the de facto Congress and it’s speaker of the house being Stephen Box with perhaps Alex Thompson being the president of this emerging nation. Joseph Ubrayj running counter-terrorism strikes with the department of DIY, Roadblock being the 4 star general mobilizing his massive Ridazz troops to invade the streets (wolfpak being the elite delta command force) and the LACBC something of a UN of sorts, fighting the good fight yet struggling at times to remain relevant but appreciated none the less. Somehow it’s all coming together, more and more recruits are responding everyday and joining the rebel alliance. The LADOT being the evil empire of course… blood on the streets spilled by their inaction as they continue to ignore the nation of cyclists banging down their car doors. 30 years from now perhaps people riding safely on friendly uncongested bike-able streets will look back and smile about these days… with embedded reporters like Damien Newton, Ted Rogers and Will Campbell covering the conflict the citizens may know the history of this epic battle for Los Angeles. Maybe it won’t matter to anyone but for now we’ll pretend that it does, because it lights our fires.

I knew when I wrote that list of people whose bike activism awed me — as opposed to odd me, which is another topic altogether — I knew I was going to forget some very important people.

And sure enough, as I’m out on my bike today, it hits me — Josef Brayj-Ali, the ultimate bike wonk, who doesn’t just talk bikes but lives it every day. So I figure maybe I can get home and slip his name into that list before anyone notices.

I really need to start visiting here more often. Very nice review of all that’s been happening.

On your “a lot of other people who do a lot more than I do” sentiment, I have always had the sense that its been a huge advantage for L.A. that so many people have been inspired to act in so many different ways. I think its the key reason so much has started moving this past year, there are so many different fronts being activated.

I couldn’t agree more. I think our strength comes from a thousand people working in ten thousand directions. Even if you do nothing more than make a phone call, write an email or just get out and ride your bike when you could have taken your car, you’re doing your part to make this a better place.

Search for:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.